CA Plus Youths Cricket Pads

Advantages: Excellent for young cricketers
Disadvantages: Not ideal for high standard match play

...I'm basing this review of the CA Attack Cricket Balls on the junior (4.75oz) version. CA Cricket is a Pakistan-based company, who export their product to the UK. They also manufacture a wide range of other cricketing equipment, from bats to bags, and seem to base their offerings firmly within the 'value' sector. The CA Attack balls were my first experience of the brand, and, being a coach of Under 13 cricketers, I was looking for a number of inexpensive, hard wearing cricket balls good enough to last through 16 weeks of indoor net practise. The price of the balls is incredibly cheap (£2.49 per ball from www.thesportshq.com, who seem to have a tie-up with CA, as they carrry the full range of their equipment) and my initial concern was in terms of what kind of quality you are getting for your cash. A typical equivalent junior ball... Read review

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Advantages: perfect weight balance
Disadvantages: must be knocked in very well.

...I have always been a great fan of CA bats. For me they are clearly the best bats, but that is my personal choice because the CA white Gold is Chunkier than your normal Gray Nicholls bat. I find that this bat is perfect for my style of Aggressive play, it is a bullky bladed bat which also encourages the ball to fly of the middle with minimum effort. this is a great benefit for the wristy cricketers who concentrate on snappy shots rather than defensive play. the weight distribution in this bat is second to none, from the handle down to the bottom edge there is an equal weight. this is extremeley important to have in a bat which is not made in a very slimline design. the equality in the weight enables you to time your drive shots with particular ease. i have found with previous CA bats that there was always more weight near the bottom... Read review

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Advantages: Two double width straps
Disadvantages: No instep protection

...The Slazenger Select Test pads are a good alternative for anybody looking for a fairly inexpensive pair of batting pads with the general comfort of a quality pair of batting pads but without the price tag. These pads usually retail around the £39.99 mark, but many wholesalers such as Morrant, Romida or Bourne are likely to have them for closer to £30. I used a set of these, which I had borrowed off a friend, for the indoor season (I play a lot of indoor cricket in Austria) and was very impressed with them. Pads have improved immeasurably, in the 15 years that I have been playing cricket, with buckles being replaced by Velcro fastenings, which can allow you to get the tightness of the pads more accurately. As regards the straps of these pads, they were great, with the bottom (ankle) and the middle (shin) straps being both 2 inches wide... Read review

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